Connect, Learn and Explore! Join river managers, advocates, stewards, academics and students at the La Quinta Inn Riverside in San Antonio, Texas, for three days of learning, sharing and growing together! Explore the physical, economic and social issues surrounding river access in a variety of sessions, as well as visiting sites around San Antonio to see how local river managers successfully welcome and accommodate some of the nation's largest numbers of river users.

You'll hear from dozens of river management professionals in plenary and concurrent sessions. Topics include: river access planning and design, pathways to meaningful inclusion, managing busy river accesses, partnerships with private landowners to expand public access, sexual harassment in the whitewater rafting industry, the impact of climate change on Wild and Scenic Rivers, funding strategies for river access, and MUCH MORE! The agenda, session descriptions, field trips, and speaker bios are available in the 2023 Symposium Program, (This is a working draft and is subject to change).

We'll kick off the Symposium on Tuesday with our opening Keynote Speakers Christine Jacobs and Mallory Hines. Christine is the Superintendent of San Antonio Missions National Historical Park, a National Park Service (NPS) unit that manages the majority of San Antonio Missions, a UNESCO World Heritage Site preserving Spanish frontier missions. Mallory is the Vice President of the Convention & Visitors Bureau, Gtr. New Braunfels Chamber of Commerce. In Tuesday's Awards Luncheon, RMS will honor and celebrate its esteemed 2023 RMS Awards recipients! You'll hear from our guest speaker Dr. Andrew Sansom, one of Texas’ leading conservationists who has served as Executive Director of the Texas Parks and Wildlife Department as well as the Texas Nature Conservancy. You'll also enjoy a poetry reading with Carmen Tafolla, former State Poet Laureate of Texas and native to San Antonio.

At Tuesday evening's poster reception, you'll get to mingle with poster presenters to learn about the latest research, innovations, and partnership opportunities in river management. Learn how remotely-sensed stream power might predict whitewater difficulty; see how GIS mapping of bird habitat can help agencies, conservationists, and developers make informed decisions while preserving habitat; and get familiar with resources that might help stabilize your streambank! The reception will include hors d'oeuvres and a cash bar.

On Wednesday, we'll explore San Antonio and the surrounding area by foot, barge, vehicle, or kayak to learn about one of the busiest recreation districts in the country, as well as restoration efforts, river-based tourism, development of a culture park and paddling trail, and more. 

On Thursday, we'll wrap up with a closing keynote presentation by Nathan Pence, Executive Manager of Environmental Science for the Guadalupe-Blanco River Authority in Seguin, Texas. Then we'll enjoy a closing banquet complete with a live auction!

Letter for employers: Justification for Attending

Here's a one-page justification letter that can be shared with employers to highlight the value of attending this event! This is a Word document. If you need another format, please email [email protected]

Tracks

Physical Access  River access points are the gateways to opportunities for visitors to enjoy and experience water related activities. The sessions in this track will address the challenges of providing for diverse visitor uses and protecting natural resources.	Economic Access Investments in river access can increase visitor spending that directly supports many types of jobs, businesses, and local governments. The sessions in this track will address sources of funding and diverse partnerships that can lead to thriving river communities.	Social Access River and waterways access and the opportunity to enjoy and learn about them should be accessible to everyone. The sessions in this track will address the work being done to overcome barriers that keep communities from accessing, enjoying, and protecting rivers.

Field Sessions

• Take a San Antonio River Walk Barge tour to visit the Museum Reach and River Walk Loop. View historical landmarks, brilliant public art works, and travel through a lock and dam complex. This will be a half-day tour with lunch on your own.
• Kayak the San Antonio River Mission Reach Paddling Trail and journey through a water landscape important to San Antonio’s 300-year history. Located in the central flyway, view a variety of bird species, along with fish, turtles, and other wildlife. This will be a half-day tour with lunch on your own.
• Tour the San Pedro Creek Culture Park, one of newest projects in the center of downtown San Antonio. It combines public art, architectural design, and historic preservation with engineering, ecosystem restoration, and native landscaping. This will be a half-day tour with lunch on your own.
• Enjoy a walking tour of habitat restoration projects associated with two of the largest artesian springs in the world – the Comal Springs and River in New Braunfels and San Marcos Springs and River in San Marcos. These projects demonstrate how each community has made improvements in highly popular visitor areas while retaining protective measures for federally listed endangered and threatened species. In San Marcos, you will tour the springs in a glass-bottom boat and see the projects with a kayak tour. In New Braunfels, you will tour the Comal River recreation zone and hear how large recreation numbers are managed in compact spaces during the summer. Weather permitting, we’ll tube the Tube Chute on the Comal River! This is a full-day tour with lunch included.
• Kayak the Guadalupe River, one of the most popular rivers in Texas. The Guadalupe is well known for its tubers, soaking up the sun and enjoying the 70-degree water temperatures. This 3-hour field trip is an option for beginner paddlers. This trip is ADA accessible. This is a full-day field trip with lunch included.
• Visit Guadalupe State Park along the Guadalupe River for hiking and Park education. Stop at Nichol’s Landing, a small riverside park managed by WORD of Comal County for lunch and a look at the Paddling Trail partnership. Then take an educational walking tour of Honey Creek State natural area. This is a full-day tour with lunch included.
• Tour through the heart of one of the busiest river recreation areas in the country, the Guadalupe River. Begin with a driving tour to showcase hundreds of businesses along the river. Learn about the challenges of managing public and private access points for thousands of people. Then jump in a craft to float the beautiful Horseshoe stretch of the Guadalupe to learn about local river management. Enjoy Texas BBQ for lunch along the riverbank. This is a full-day tour with lunch included.

Early registration is open till January 27, 2023. Regular registration rates will apply from January 27 until the Symposium begins February 28, 2023.

Early Registration: RMS Member	$375
Early Registration: Non-Member	$475
Registration: RMS Member	$425
Registration: Non-Member	$525
Single Day Registration	$225
Student Registration	$250

 

Field Sessions

Space on each trip is limited. Guests and single day registrants may also register for field sessions. Field session registration fees are not included with the full Symposium registration for RSLC students, sponsors, or scholarship recipients. Please call RMS at (301) 585-4677 or email [email protected] with questions. 

• Take a San Antonio River Walk Barge tour to visit the Museum Reach and River Walk Loop ($30) - This will be a half-day tour with lunch on your own.
• Kayak the San Antonio River Mission Reach Paddling Trail ($45) - This will be a half-day tour with lunch on your own.
• Tour the San Pedro Creek Culture Park ($25) - This will be a half-day tour with lunch on your own.
• Enjoy a walking tour of habitat restoration projects ($60) -This is a full-day tour with lunch included.
• Kayak the Guadalupe River ($85) - This is a full-day field trip with lunch included.
• Visit Guadalupe State Park along the Guadalupe River ($55) - This is a full-day tour with lunch included.
• Tour through the heart of one of the busiest river recreation areas ($55) - This is a full-day tour with lunch included.

Guest Registration

Invite a friend, colleague or partner to join us!

• Tuesday (Feb. 28) Awards Luncheon ($40) - RMS will honor its 2022 Awards Recipients! The luncheon will also feature guest speaker Dr. Andrew Sansom and a poetry reading with Carmen Tafolla, former poet Laureate of Texas and native to San Antonio. Dr. Sansom is one of Texas’ leading conservationists and has served as Executive Director of the Texas Parks and Wildlife Department as well as the Texas Nature Conservancy. 
• Tuesday (Feb. 28) Poster Reception ($60) - Attendees will mingle with poster presenters to learn about the latest research, innovations and partnership opportunities in river management. Learn how remotely-sensed stream power might predict whitewater difficulty; how GIS mapping of bird habitat can help agencies, conservationists and developers make informed decisions while preserving habitat; and get familiar with resources that might help stabilize your streambank! The reception will include hors d'oeuvres and a cash bar.
• Thursday (March 1) Closing Banquet and Live Auction ($60) - The banquet will feature guest speaker Nathan Pence, Executive Manager of Environmental Science for the Guadalupe-Blanco River Authority in Seguin, Texas.
• Social Registration ($150) - This includes the three events above at a bundled rate! It does not include field sessions, but you may register for those below.

Pre-Symposium Student Trip to Canyon Lake

Sunday, Feb. 26 - Monday, Feb. 27

Students will get the opportunity to meet other RMS student members from across the country on this on this two-day, one-night camping and paddling excursion to beautiful Canyon Lake, TX (located 1 hour outside of San Antonio). This trip is available ONLY to student members of RMS, at no charge to students, though travel cost to San Antonio is not included.

Students will need to arrive in San Antonio on Saturday, Feb. 25. Lodging accommodations will be covered by RMS at the La Quinta Inn for Saturday night. Meet in the hotel lobby at 9 a.m. on Sunday, Feb. 26. Our intended return time to San Antonio will be midafternoon on Monday, Feb. 27. Learn more and check out the packing list here. 

Registration for this trip is part of the regular Symposium registration form. If you are not logged in to your RMS Student Member profile, you will not see this trip as an option in the registration form! With questions, please contact RMS at [email protected] or by calling (301) 585-4677.

Save on Registration and Stay Connected All Year by Joining RMS!

RMS membership connects you with the nation's premier network of river managers so you can collaborate and share solutions year round, while growing your professional network. You'll receive invitations and discounts for river trips, workshops and yes, the Symposium! You'll also receive our quarterly RMS Journal and biweekly RMS News Digest email, and we invite you to share your news and announcements in both. All information and a link to join or renew are available on our Membership webpage.

Scholarships

Lifetime, Individual and Student members may apply for an RMS Scholarship to assist with expenses. Applications are due Dec. 31, 2022. To learn more or to apply, please visit the Scholarship webpage. (You will be prompted to log in to view this page.)

COVID-19 Precautions

We encourage attendees to have been vaccinated and boosted. We will follow current distancing and masking guidelines regarding COVID-19 and illnesses that are spread easily.

Travel

The Symposium will take place at the La Quinta Inn Riverside in San Antonio, Texas. The San Antonio International Airport is just nine miles from the hotel. Ridesharing with other attendees from the airport to the hotel is available through our event mobile app Whova, which will go live Nov. 30.

Lodging

Hotel reservations are not included in the registration fee. RMS has two blocks of hotel rooms reserved: one for federal government employees and a main block of rooms for all other attendees. 

• Main Block: The room rate is $149 + 18.20% tax, or $176.12 per room per night. Book a room in the main block online or by calling 800-753-3757. The main block is loaded as “River Management Symp- Main” and the group code is “CG9008."
• Federal Employee Block: We have a limited number of rooms available exclusively for federal employees who have registered for the full Symposium. When you register for the Symposium, you'll receive the link to book online or by phone in your confirmation email. For more information or with questions, please call RMS at 301-585-4677.

Room Sharing

If you're interested in sharing a room with another Symposium attendee, please email [email protected] to let her know! 

 

 

Join us as a Reimagine River Access Sponsor! Reach a national audience of thousands online and hundreds of attendees in person who love, manage and protect rivers with your brand!

We invite you to support the River Management Symposium as we Reimagine River Access February 28 to March 2, 2023! COVID-19 has created an unprecedented opportunity to re-imagine how best to share dozens of interesting and relevant river-based presentations, trainings and workshops. True to tradition, the program will offer content that reflects the multidisciplinary nature of river management. New will be the manner by which we deliver programs, connecting attendees with each other, instructors and exhibitors. Sponsoring the 2023 Symposium may offer partnership connections more effectively than at past events!

The 2023 River Management Symposium agenda includes training workshops, presentations, posters and river-based field trips centered on the many aspects of “river access” that are driving long-term strategic questions about the resilience of our river resources, as well as near-term programs, staffing, and budgets.

Let’s discuss how we can provide a unique opportunity to promote your organization, services or products. Sponsorship information and benefits are outlined in our Sponsorship and Silent Auction Program (link below). 

• Sponsors: Please review sponsorship levels and benefits in the Sponsorship Program and complete the Contract on the last page.
• Silent Auction Donors: Please complete the Silent Auction Donation Form. If the retail value of items donated is $1,000 or more, we'll also ask you to complete the Sponsor Contract to ensure you receive the same benefits as sponsors.

Please contact Executive Director Risa Shimoda at (301) 585-4677 / [email protected] with questions or suggestions.

The RMS Symposium takes places every other year and provides a forum for the exchange of ideas and the vetting of policies and strategies concerning river management. This international event encourages the formation of networks and partnerships among a broad range of river professionals. Learn more and find links to past Symposia on our River Management Symposium webpage.